Property developer Antony Green, from Barnsley, has founded a home improvement website – decision2day.com – which he hopes to roll out across Britain.

His backers include Jonathan Hick, the founder of Yorkshire-based Directorbank, which has become one of Britain's biggest providers of directors to private equity and venture capital backed companies.

Mr Hick is one of decision2day's non executive directors, along with Simon Mountford, the managing partner of Simon Mountford Communications, who is a former Business Editor of the Yorkshire Post.

Users looking for, say, a plumber, will be given a list of plumbers close to where they live along with a star rating based on previous customers' views of their performance.

Mr Green, decision2day's managing director, said: "I have spent most of my working life involved in the building industry and have been aware for a while of the need for a service of this kind.

"By listing tradespeople who other consumers are willing to recommend, we will end the risk of people employing rogues."

Decision2Day will provide information on 35 trades, including builders, plumbers, electricians, landscape gardeners, decorators and interior designers.

Local information will be provided for 17 towns and cities in Yorkshire.

Initially, the website is just being launched in Yorkshire, but in the long term Mr Green plans to provide information on tradesmen across Britain.

Mr Green formed his own construction firm in 1988, and has worked with blue chip clients including the National Grid.